The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-04-07

lic,) and but few men ever attend church.
Almost all go to the cock-6ght, which
takes place every Sunday, commencing
early in the morning, and for which the
government secures an income of $l9 for
every Sundays exercise. The Spanish
government keeps a large garrison there
all the time, and there is very bad and
bitter feeling existing between the citi-
zens and soldiers, as freedom ofspeech is
not allowed. Should a citizen say any
thing against the government be is I'M
mediately arrested and imprisoned.
The taxes imposed by the government
are very high, eighteen per cent. on real
estate, and twenty-five per cent. on all
income, besides town and county taxes.
The people are generally restless and
dissatisfied, wanting to get under some
other form of government.
Some thought they would belong to
the United States some day, and seemed
anxious for that day to come. forgot
to mention, when speaking Of the cock
fights, that I went to see it one Sunday,
and must say that never saw as mnch
excitement in any crowd before. All
the crowd were hollering, betting, etc.
It was but few hours after We pre-.
sented our papers before it was generally
known among the business men of the
city, both civil and official, that two doc.
tors had been sent from the State Board
of Health from South Carolina to that
city, to investigate its sanitary condition.
They all seemed to become deeply inter.
ested in our mission, expressing them.
selves as being very glad that such step
had been taken by South Carolina, and
they showed us every attention, and
treated US with marked respect, doing
everything to make us comfortable, and
assist US in our investigations. a few
days after our arrival, the board of
health, the board Of trade, and the city
council, held a meeting for our benefit,
and notified us that they we're ready to
hear anything, and answer such ques.
tions as we might see proper to PROFOUND
to them. We met that body with such
questions as we wished answered written
out, ard remained in consultation for
several hours, and had it not been for our
Interpreters, we might as we'll have been
thousand miles of, 80 far as under.
standing anything they said was con.
cerned. We remained ih the city of
Baracoa ten days, and during that time
we visited the principal portion of the
city and its surroundings. A very
wealthy gentleman carried US to one of
his farms twenty miles in the country,
containing sixty square miles. Almost
the entire sixty square miles was covered
with fruit. Our trip in the country was
a perilous, but very interesting, one.
There was six or seven of us in the party
when We started, all on ponies and mules,
but before We had gone many miles three
more Joined US, and it was a gay party.
As have already stated there we're no
roads. We all had to fall into this same
narrow trail, which has been used for one
hundred years or longer-one riding
behind the other, not enough space in
the twenty miles for two to ride abreast.
It was the toughest and most perilous
riding that it has ever been my lot to
perform. It was going up and around
mountains, along frightful precipices all
day. We crossed two large rivers about
two hundred yards wide, and they don't
seem to have any conception of fiat
boat, such as are used for crossing rivers,
but pull off their saddles, put them into
a small row boat, and swim their horses
across by the side of 1t, Such is their
custom. We reached the city late in the
evening with no accident, notwithstand-
ing the exceedingly perilous rides over
the mountains, having visited many
farms besides the cne mentioned. Sew
eral appointments were made for us to
visit other points of interest around and
in the country, as far as thirty miles.
Though anxious to visit some OF these,
such as coffee farms ETC., we concluded
that the sun was too hot, and as there
was no way to so except on horseback,
we declined the trip for fear that too
much exposure to the hot sun might
make us sick. We had very pleasant
weather during our stay on the Island,
aud were invited to several dinings. As
q rule, upon every mans table from the
richest to the poorest, they have bottle
of wine at each plate. The youngest
child drinks his wine as though it were
wafer. Their breakfast hour is IL O'clock,
and their dinner hour at FIVE in the even
ing. With few exceptions, every man
during work, and at other times, has q
large dagger strapped around his waist.
There are manyother peculiarities about
Il people aud their city could mem
tic but will now give you little
account of our voyage home. / must
say during all my travels north, west aad
south, that this city and its surroundings
is the most interesting have ever seen.
We would liked to have remained longer,
and better understand the manners, Gus.
toms etc, Of the people, but our boat
being ready to sail next morning, we got
aboard and bid farewell to the beautiful
Isle of Cuba. We left the harbor at a.
m. Sunday morning, March 18th, having
barely wind sufficient to carry us out